Name: _______________________________________
Date: ___________________
COMMON BOOLEAN SEARCH COMMANDS & SEARCH TIPS
Many databases and search engines use these common commands as the required syntax
for inputting keywords. However, always check the “help” screen in case of variations.
Search Intention
“Boolean” Operators & Search Tips
(as a rule of thumb, type operators in upper-case letters)
TO NARROW A
SEARCH
Use several search terms
linked with the AND
operator. (results will
contain both terms)
To weed your search results,
use a term and the NOT
operator. (will exclude
results containing that term)
USE:
cats AND dogs
dogs NOT cats
To search for a phrase use
quotation marks.
Use “advanced” search
options in online databases
to further narrow results.
TO BROADEN A
SEARCH
“black death”
publication date, language, material type (book, image), file type (pdf,
full-text), publication (NY Times) or domain (.edu, .gov)
USE:
Search several terms linked
with the OR operator to
yield results that will contain
at least one of the words.
cats OR dogs
Use truncation to search
variations of a word.
econom*
Use a “wildcard” to replace
one letter of a word to
search variations of that
word.
organi?ation
Use a tilde sign in front of a
term to search synonyms of
that word.
MORE TIPS
To separate search
commands into a logical
sequence, use parentheses.
These words will appear next to each
other in sequence in the results.
~inexpensive
Will find: economic, economics,
economical, economist etc.
Will find: organisation (English), and
organization (US)
(not available on all databases)
Will find: inexpensive, cheap,
low cost etc.
(not available on all databases)
TRY:
(dogs OR cats) AND pigeons
COMMON BOOLEAN SEARCH COMMANDS & SEARCH TIPS
Many of the tips mentioned above work on search engines, but here are some
variations on those operators and tips for specific search engines.
Search Intention
Internet Search Engine Equivalents
(yahoo, bing, altavista, etc.)
Functions as the AND
operator
+cats +dogs
(use AND with Google)
cats dogs
(use OR with Google)
Functions as the OR
operator
Functions as the NOT
operator
Search Intention
To only search the pages
on a particular website
To search items within a
designated time frame
To search a particular type
of file
To only show results
where the word shows up
in the title in Google
Scholar
To search for a particular
author in Google Scholar
To look up definitions
Enter math problems using
+, *, / and parentheses
To do unit conversions
Search Intention
To Broaden a
Search:
To Narrow a
Search:
+dogs –cats
(don’t use the + with Google)
Google Search Tips
Site: nytimes.com
2010..2012
filetype: pdf
intitle: velocity
author: green
define: happy
(2*3)/5+44-1
54 pounds in kilograms
Tips for Searching Destiny Card Catalog

Search by Keyword

Click on an item and look under Explore!; then click on
subject headings to broaden the results.

Search by Title or Author

Click on an item and look under Explore!; then click on
subject headings to narrow the results.

Use Power Search tab to search by Material Type,
Publication Year, Award etc.
TIPS – COME UP WITH A SEARCH STRATEGY
Take time before you start searching to brainstorm possible search terms. A bit of thought in
advance will save you more effort in the long run, particularly if you are searching a narrow topic.
Identify keywords and phrases that describe your topic
Start with your essay question or project title. Break it into the main concepts, and try to identify
relevant keywords or phrases that describe what you need to look for. If the project is a large
one, you may have to do this process for each stage of your research. Consider whether
alternative synonyms or terminology could be used in place of your keywords. E.g.
Qu. Find out what hate groups operate in the United States. Who do they target?
Why? What are their most common crimes? Where are they most prevalent? How are
they structured?
(“hate groups” OR “hate crimes”) AND ~“United States”
Other Possible Keywords: racism, “white supremacy”, ~KKK, neo-nazi*, “Aryan Nation”,
hatemongers, skinhead*, terrorism or terror*, AND America NOT “South America”
Start with the most relevant database for your subject area
Always begin your search with the most relevant resource for the subject area. Search it
thoroughly before moving onto another database. Consider AHS Databases AND LFPL databases.
If you can’t find your information in the databases, THEN turn to the web.
Begin with a “narrow” search
Try and get straight to the results that you want:
 Search using the most obvious keywords or phrases to describe your subject.
 Make correct use of Boolean operators ( “AND” and “NOT”) to structure your search query.
 If the database has a thesaurus, use that to help you pick more specific terms for your search.
 If you find a good article, use “Related Topics” to continue your search.
 Look for a bibliography at the end of the article for more possible sources.
 Use limiters such as date of publication, file type, author etc. to narrow the results.
If you don’t find anything, “broaden” your search
Cast your net a bit wider:
 Have you identified and searched using alternative phrases and synonyms for your keywords?
 Make correct use of Boolean operators. (e.g. truncation and the use of “OR”)
 Use a broad topic and then view the “Related Topics” that it recommends.
 Move onto the next most relevant database if you cannot find what you want. Repeat your
search there.
Tips . . .
Use advanced search to assist you
 This can help you formulate a good Boolean search.
Use a thesaurus to help you select the most apt terms and keywords
 A thesaurus can give you all of the synonyms to a word and help you brainstorm search terms.
Use your teacher or your Library Media Specialist to help you with your search
 Your teacher or library media specialist will be able to guide you in choosing a database and in
brainstorming search terms. He or she may have ideas of where to start finding reputable web
resources as well. They can also help you if you don’t know how to locate print sources in the
library.